Former Birmingham Barons owner Dr Robert Levin poses in his Homewood office with a picture of his father, Jack Levin. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr./screnshawjr@al.com)

BIRMINGHAM,
Alabama - Homewood pediatrician Dr. Robert Levin recalled being part of the
Birmingham Barons ownership group that moved the team from Rickwood Field to
Hoover.

"At that
point with Rickwood, there were too many things going wrong," he recalled. "Either
it was the power going out, the lights going out, or the restrooms were bad. It
was just a great, great move.

"At the time
it was the right move, to go to Hoover. There is no question," Levin said. "But
now it's a great thing to come back too. I'm all for it. I just think it's
fantastic."

Levin will
be in the stands tonight as the Barons christen their new home. He bought a
dozen tickets to the game.

"I just
wanted to take some friends and my family," he said. "I have some friends who
came in from Washington. We're all so excited about it."

Levin, his father Jack Levin and other
investors brought baseball back to Birmingham, buying the Montgomery Rebels.
They owned it for 10 years before selling to Suntory Corporation, a Japanese
firm.

The elder
Levin was president and Robert Levin was a board member. The pediatrician
recalled people telling them they were crazy to buy the baseball team, that it
was a terrible investment.

"We did it
for the love of the city and the love of the game," he said.